Mail-pouch fastener.



J. L. SMITH.

MAL POUCH FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 191s.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

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J. L. SMITH.

MAIL POUCH FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.14, 1913.

1,069,490., Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

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JUSTUS L. SMITH, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

MAIL-POUCH FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5,1913.

Application filed January 14, 1913. Serial No. 741,940.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JUsTUs L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Pouch Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to fastening means for use on mail pouches, and associated with a strap or equivalent tie to embrace the gathered neck of the pouch.

It is an obj ect of my invention to provide means permanently secured to the mail pouch, and so constructed and arranged that the tie strap may be caused to encircle the gathered neck of the pouch and the fastening means quickly snapped together without any tedious manipulation thereof.

It is a further design of my invention to provide a device of the indicated character in which the,fastener can be quickly and expeditiously unfastened.

The distinguishing features of my invention, and the important structural elements characterizing the preferred embodiment which is illustrated as an example, will be particularly explained in the specific description hereinafter to be given.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a mail pouch showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a cross section showing the invention with the pouch closed and fastened; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the complete pouch in closed and fastened position; Fig. 4 is a face view on an enlarged scale of my improved fastening means, part of the lock case being broken away and other parts being in section, the view showing the fastening means in the locked position; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, with certain lock parts in the positions they occupy in the operation of fastening or unfastening; Fig. G is a longitudinal section on approximately the line G-G of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is an edge view of the lock with parts of the lock case broken out, and looking toward the ends of the tumbler latches; Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5; Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of tumbler latches employed in the lock of my improved fastener; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the springs for the tumbler latches; and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the spacing plates employed between movable elements of the lock.

In carrying out my invention the mail pouch 10 may be of any approved form and material. A strap 11 or its equivalent is secured at a point between its ends to the pouch, below the top of the latter, and over the strap, at its point of connection with the pouch, is a lock 12, the shackle 12a of which is carried by one end 11b of the strap, while the other end 11a is adapted to be passed through a loop 14 on the end 11b adjacent to the shackle 12a. The connection between the loop 14 and the strap is effected in the instance shown by a metallic clip 13, which embraces one side of the loop and is riveted to the strap, the opposite side of the loop being so connected to the shackle 12@L that the latter may swing; thus the loop 14 establishes a flexible connection between the strap and the shackle, to produce an opening at the base of the shackle through which the opposite free end 11a of the strap may be passed after the strap has been caused to encircle the gathered neck of the pouch, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the illustrated form the base 12b of the lock 12 has a plurality of lat-eral lugs 12C formed with rivet holes 12d which receive fastening rivets 12e (Fig. l) certain of the lugs 12b overlying the strap 11 and adjacent rivets 12e passing through the said lugs and through the strap and the material of the pouch.

In the fastening of the pouch the free end 11a of the strap when passed through the loop 14, may be drawn upon to tighten the strap, and the said end 11a may be brought against the inner end 12f of the shackle 12a, as in Fig. 2, whereby the strap may direct the shackle 12a into the lock 12, so that the strap is utilized to snap the shackle into place in the lock without any other manipulation of the lock or shackle.

In the interior of the lock two pairs of latching tumblers engage the inner ends of the shackle under the influence of springs; thus the tumblers 15, 16, of one pair are in a plane with each other and move toward and from each other, and similarly the tumblers 17, 18, of the other pair are arranged in a plane parallel with the tumblers 15, 16, and have latching heads 17a, 18, offset into the same plane with the tumblers 15, 16, so that the pairs of latching heads 12g on the shackle 12a may be engaged respectively, the one head by the heads 15a, 16a of the tumblers 15, 16, and the other latching head 12g being engaged by the latching heads 17', 18a. The latching tumblers are notched adjacent to the latching heads thereof to provide shoulders 15b, 16h, 17h, 18h, and corresponding notches are formed in opposite side surfaces of the shackle 12 adjacent to the heads 12g thereof to present shoulders 12, 12i, to be engaged by the mentioned shoulders on the tumblers.

The latches are pivoted on posts 19 and are embraced at the backs thereof by springs 20, 21, shown best in Fig. 11, having inner ends 2OEL thereof that bear against the backs of the respective latching tumblers, there being one spring 20 for the pair of t-umblers 15, 16, and a second spring 21 for the pair of tumblers 17, 18. Between a pair of tumblers and the spring thereof and the other pair of tumblers and their spring, spacing plates 22 are employed, similar plates being s provided if necessary, above and below the casing.

The casing of the lock 12 is halved at 12k, for convenience in assembling the parts, and 5 the halves are secured by rivets 12j or their In addition to the pivot posts 19, posts 19a are disposedbetween the pairs of tumblers 15, 16 and 17, 18to act as stops y equivalent.

and limit the movements of the various tumblers on the pivot posts 19.

T he lock casing is formed with a keyhole 12m, and corresponding holes 22a are formed in the several spacing plates to receive a suitable key 23 that is hollow and may turn around an interior Apost 241 in the lock `as a center, for engaging the opposed inner surfaces of the latching tumblers, to open the same for the releaseof theshackle. Normally, the tumblers will be in the positions indicated in Fig. t, and it will be obvious that upon the entrance of the shackle, ythe tumblers will be forced apart so that the shackle can snap into place, as shown iny said figure. The separated positions of the tumblers for the entrance and withdrawal lof the shackle are indicatedin Figs. 5

and 7.

It will be observed that in addition to t-he V flexibility between the shackle and the strap pouch, and between the shackle and the lation of the lock parts, and that similarly,-

the strap is conveniently employed to withdraw the shackle by exerting a pull on the strap with one hand while turning the key with the other hand.

The described construction affords a practical means for carrying my invention into eifect, and I would state in conclusion that I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical'detai'ls herein ilustrated, since manifestly the same-can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1. A lock, comprising a case, pairs of latching tumblers, the tumblers of each pair beingpivoted to move toward and from each other and having latching heads, the heads of a pair extendingtoward each other, and a hasp, both Aarms of which have latching heads presenting latching shoulders at opposite sides of each head and engageable simultaneously by the tumblers, each pair of tumblers being adapted to engage a head' of the hasp.

2. A lock, comprising a casing having a pair of spring-pressed latching tumblers, a second pair of 4spring-pressed latching tumblers, the tumblers of both pairs having a hasp `havin-g a pair of arms each formed with a latching head presenting latching members on opposite sides, all the latching tumblers having simultaneous locking and unlocking engagement and a pair of the latches serving Jto-engage a latching head on the hasp.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JUSTUS L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

CHARLES F. I-IoLDnN, GRACE I. SMITH.

Copies of'ths'patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). C. 

